Wade stepping down as Apalachicola city manager

After about 29 years working in Florida government posts, the last four years as Apalachicola’s city manager, Travis Wade is stepping down at the end of next month.

“I weighed it out with stress levels and time, as much as it consumes my life, and I decided I’m ready to be a private citizen,” he said.

Wade, 54, has more than 31 years in with Florida’s state retirement system, and while he hasn’t written off taking a private sector job, he said nothing is in writing yet.

“I decided it was time for me to find something else,” he said. “The job can be very stressful; it consumes your life. I wake up at 3 a.m. and my mind is on city business. My mind is thinking about city business thinking about it when I’m off work driving down the road.”

After getting married in November 2023 to the former Samantha Taylor, Wade decided now was the time. 

“I’ve got a new grandbaby, two great stepkids, a wonderful wife and my parents are still here,” said Wade, who is the son of Kendall Wade, former Franklin County clerk of courts.

“My private life is great,” he said. “I love the city, it’s my hometown, born and raised here. I’m happy I could serve the city and I’m ready to have some of my life back.”

By a 3-2 vote at the city commission meeting earlier this month, Wade will get a lump sum payment for accumulated leave. He plans to stay on the job until Feb. 28.

The commissioners who voted no – Despina George and Anita Grove – expressed concern that not sufficient documentation and advanced notice had been provided them to enable a decision.

Wade stressed that a precedent had been set for paying accumulated leave when City Clerk Lee Mathes stepped down a few years ago, and that he has been a stickler for keeping accurate records of his hours.

From 2001 to 2020, Wade worked as an investigator for the Florida Commission on Ethics, and earlier, between 1997 and 2001 had worked for the Florida Elections Commission.

Those experiences with these separate agencies, gave Wade insight into everything from incorrect disclaimers to financial violations on campaign treasurer reports to people using voter intimidation, which constituted some but comparatively few of the matters he facted over the years.

Mainly, “people would put political signs out and misrepresent information and not put a disclaimer and there was no way to hold them accountable, other than under the disclaimer law,” he said, noting that nepotism, misuse of public position to benefit themselves or someone else, and conflicting employment and contractual relationships also has come up.

In addition, contributors were known to violate limits on the amount of money that a candidate could accept on their behalf, which was $100 per person per election cycle in cash, and $500 per person per election cycle in checks.

“They (candidates) would get massive amounts of cash, and they would misrepresent it by reporting it as from different individuals,” Wade said. 

A 1988 graduate of Apalachicola High School, he graduated in 1992 from Florida State University with a degree in criminology, and the next year went to work in the criminal histories section of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

After three years, with hopes of becoming a special agent, Wade’s goals changed and he went to work for four years with the elections commission, which is not a sworn law enforcement position., and later with the ethics commission.

Wade was hired as Apalachicola city manager on May 29, 202, during the administration of late mayor Kevin Begos.

In his letter announcing he was stepping down, issued just before Christmas, Wade noted that among the milestones he worked to achieve were the passage of the Area of Critical State Concern Stewardship Act, the release of two longstanding drinking water consent orders, the award of over $40 million in grants, and the improvement of the working relationship with Franklin County.

Details have not been worked out regarding the hiring process for Wade’s replacement, particularly whether the interviews will be public, as they were when Wade was hired, or in executive session with commissioners. The salary starts at $80,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

Mayor Brenda Ash told her fellow commissioners this month that she wanted to be involved in the winnowing down of applications to see if individuals meet the basic qualifications. Commissioners will ultimately have to decide on the hire.

“I don’t want to be involved in the process,” Wade said.